Francis Maude In Langport

Suddenly we are awash with political dignitaries of the highest order. This evening Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, popped into the River Parrett Café in Langport. You cannot fault our representatives on the miles travelled to press the flesh. This was part of a trek around the West Country that had taken in Cornwall yesterday and would encompass Taunton, Chard and Yeovil before today was finished,

The visit was recognition for Café owner Clare Aparicio who last year was the third recipient of a Point of Light Award, which recognises someone in the UK who is making a change in their community and inspiring others. The award was established in 2014 and is run from the Prime Minister’s Office. Francis Maude’s visit was really in the form of a follow up and as his schedule would, in the roudavbout way of Somerset roads, more or less take him past the front door…

He discussed the floods and the formation of the MuchThornWings relief organisation with Clare and her team at the café “Mush” and “Hamster” who both played a major part in collecting and supporting Clare at the café at the height of the flooding crisis. The Cabinet Secretary asked about the aftermath of the floods and, it was very noticeable did rather more listening than talking – a welcome change from some of the members of our political class! He asked how things were progressing (though the fact he could across Somerset without using a boat probably spoke volumes) before the call of the schedule saw him whisked off by his party fixers into a rather dark and blustery Somerset evening.